Modeled benchmark report

AI vs. manual
chronology benchmark

A modeled time-and-cost comparison of AI-assisted and manual medical chronologies. The manual side is built from cited public industry figures; the Chronos side uses clearly-labeled placeholders pending measured data.

Read this first. Every comparison in this report is a modeled estimate built from cited public industry figures and clearly-labeled assumptions. It is not a measurement of Chronos's performance. Where Chronos's real measured data belongs, you will see [PLACEHOLDER — insert real Chronos measured data]. We publish the assumptions openly so the model can be checked, challenged, and replaced with measured results.
// Executive summary

The manual cost is real, sourced, and large

Producing a medical chronology by hand is one of the most time-consuming steps in a personal-injury or medical-malpractice case. A single case can span a few hundred to several thousand pages, and published estimates put experienced manual review at roughly 50 pages per hour for clean records — so a mid-sized case can absorb 10, 20, or more hours of skilled paralegal time before a usable timeline exists.

Using a representative 750-page case, a 50 pages/hour manual review speed, and a $45/hour loaded internal cost, the manual path models out to roughly 15 hours and ~$675 per case in labor — before turnaround delay. An AI-assisted path, using illustrative placeholder Chronos figures, models to a small fraction of that time and cost.

We deliberately avoid headline claims like "80% faster." Vendors across this category publicly cite reductions from 20–80 manual hours down to minutes or hours per chronology — we report those as third-party vendor claims, not verified fact. Chronos's own measured numbers will be inserted where marked. Until then, treat every Chronos-side figure here as an editable placeholder, not a promise.

Bottom line (modeled): The manual cost and turnaround of medical chronologies is real, sourced, and large. The size of the AI advantage depends on Chronos's measured performance, which we will publish transparently rather than estimate aggressively.

// Methodology

Inputs & assumptions

A transparent estimating model. Each variable is either a cited industry figure or a labeled assumption. Manual-side inputs are grounded in public sources; Chronos-side inputs are explicitly placeholders pending measured data.

Modeled inputs and assumptions, with type and source basis.
VariableValueTypeBasis / source
Representative case size750 pagesAssumption (editable)PI/med-mal cases commonly run hundreds to several thousand pages.
Manual review & summary speed50 pages/hrCited industry estimateExperienced reviewers ~50 pages/hr on clear records; slower for handwritten/complex.
Reviewer loaded internal cost$45/hrDerived from cited wageBLS mean paralegal wage ~$32/hr (May 2024), grossed up for benefits + overhead.
Reviewer billing rate (alt. view)$100/hrCited industry rangeLitigation paralegal billing commonly $75–$120/hr.
Productive hours per working day6 hrsAssumptionRealistic task-focused hours, not an 8-hour clock.
Chronos cost per page$0.50/pagePLACEHOLDERPer-page market context $0.05–$0.25/page; replace with real Chronos price.
Chronos processing / turnaround1 hrPLACEHOLDERVendor claims cite minutes–hours; replace with measured Chronos turnaround.
Chronos human QA time per case1 hrPLACEHOLDER / assumptionResidual attorney/paralegal review; replace with observed Chronos workflow time.
// Formulas
Manual hours        = pages ÷ manual speed
Manual labor cost   = manual hours × hourly cost
Manual turnaround   = manual hours ÷ productive hours/day

AI software cost    = pages × cost per page
AI human cost       = QA hours × hourly cost
AI total cost       = AI software cost + AI human cost
AI total hours      = processing/turnaround hours + QA hours
AI turnaround       = AI total hours ÷ productive hours/day

Savings             = manual − AI  (cost, hours, turnaround)

What this model does NOT do

  • It does not assert a fixed "% time saved" as fact.
  • It does not measure Chronos accuracy, completeness, or quality.
  • It does not account for record retrieval, legibility variance, or case-specific complexity beyond page count and speed.
  • It assumes a single reviewer and a linear page-rate; real workflows vary.
// Results

Modeled comparison

Modeled estimate. Not measured Chronos data. Chronos-side figures use the placeholder values defined above.

0
modeled reviewer hours saved / case
0
modeled cost saved / case
0
modeled turnaround improvement

Scenario A, 750-page case — Chronos side uses placeholder inputs

Scenario A — representative 750-page case (internal-cost basis)

Modeled 750-page case: manual vs. Chronos (placeholder), internal-cost basis.
MetricManualChronos (modeled, placeholder)Difference (modeled)
Reviewer hours15.0 hrs~2.0 hrs (1 hr processing + 1 hr QA)~13 hrs less
Labor / software cost~$675~$420 ($375 software + $45 QA)~$255 less
Turnaround (working days @ 6 hr/day)~2.5 days~0.3 days~2.2 days faster

Manual = 750 ÷ 50 = 15 hrs × $45 = $675. Chronos = (750 × $0.50) + (1 hr × $45) = $375 + $45 = $420; hours = 1 + 1 = 2. All Chronos inputs are placeholders.

Scenario B — sensitivity across case sizes (manual side, fully sourced)

Manual hours, cost (internal & billed), and turnaround by case size — independent of any Chronos placeholder.
Case sizeManual hours (@50 pg/hr)Cost @ $45/hr (internal)Cost @ $100/hr (billed)Turnaround (@6 hr/day)
300 pages6.0 hrs$270$600~1.0 day
750 pages15.0 hrs$675$1,500~2.5 days
1,500 pages30.0 hrs$1,350$3,000~5.0 days
3,000 pages60.0 hrs$2,700$6,000~10.0 days

This table uses only cited/derived figures (speed, rates) and is independent of any Chronos placeholder. It shows the size of the manual problem Chronos addresses.

// Manual cost scales with case size (sourced, no placeholders)

Scenario C — Chronos side (to be completed with real data)

Chronos measured metrics — placeholders pending real measurement.
Measured median processing time per case[PLACEHOLDER — insert real Chronos measured data]
Measured average human QA time per case[PLACEHOLDER — insert real Chronos measured data]
Measured cost per case / per page[PLACEHOLDER — insert real Chronos measured data]
Measured accuracy / completeness vs. attorney review[PLACEHOLDER — insert real Chronos measured data]
Sample size & methodology of measurement[PLACEHOLDER — insert real Chronos measured data]

Optional roll-up (modeled, placeholder-dependent)

At a modeled ~$255 saved per 750-page case and 10 cases/month, the model implies ~$2,550/month and ~$30,600/year in labor/cost difference, plus ~130 reviewer hours/month redirected. These figures move entirely with the Chronos placeholders and are illustrative only.

// Read honestly

Caveats

  1. Chronos numbers are not yet measured. Every Chronos-side figure is a placeholder. The real advantage may be larger or smaller; we will publish measured results in their place.
  2. Manual speed varies widely. 50 pages/hr is a clean-record estimate. Handwritten notes, poor scans, and multi-provider records can cut that in half or worse — which would increase modeled manual cost, not decrease it.
  3. Page counts are case-specific. We used 750 as representative; many cases are far larger. The calculator and Scenario B let readers substitute their own volume.
  4. Cost basis matters. Internal loaded cost (~$45/hr) and client billing rate ($75–$120+/hr) tell different stories; we show both.
  5. Vendor claims ≠ verified performance. Category-wide "minutes vs. 80 hours" claims come from vendors' own materials and are cited as such, not endorsed as fact.
  6. Quality is not modeled here. Time and cost are only part of the picture. A chronology must be accurate and attorney-ready; this report does not quantify Chronos's output quality.
  7. No PHI / case data informed this report. All figures are aggregate industry numbers and assumptions.
// Citations

Sources

  1. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Paralegals and Legal Assistants (May 2024: median ~$61,010/yr ≈ $29.33/hr; mean ~$31.98/hr). Occupational Outlook Handbook · OEWS detail
  2. Paralegal billing-rate guidance (litigation paralegals ~$75–$120/hr; non-lawyer rates averaged ~$193/hr in 2024 per NALA data). Clio — A Guide to Paralegal Billing · CosmoLex billing guidance
  3. Medical-record review speed — experienced reviewers ~50 pages/hr (clear records); chronologies often 8–20+ paralegal hours. LezDo TechMed · Medical Records Review
  4. AI medical-chronology vendor time-savings claims (cited as third-party vendor claims, not verified): minutes-to-hours vs. 20–80 hrs manual. GetCodes Health · EvenUp MedChrons · Superinsight
  5. Record-volume context — PI/med-mal cases span hundreds to several thousand pages. U.S. Legal Support · EvenUp guide
  6. Per-page and per-hour pricing context — AI/outsourced per-page ~$0.05–$0.25/page; hourly chronology services ~$25–$35/hr. LezDo TechMed pricing · MedSum Legal

All figures retrieved June 2026. Industry sources describe general market conditions and third-party vendor claims and are not measurements of Chronos. Replace all placeholder slots with Mahlum Innovations' measured data before citing Chronos performance.

// FAQ

Common questions

Methodology note. This report renders a modeled estimate: the manual side is reproducible from cited public figures, and every Chronos-side value is a labeled placeholder, never an invented or measured claim. For an estimate based on your own firm's numbers, use our medical chronology cost calculator.

Benchmark Chronos on your own records.

Run your first case free — no card required.